Many parents have recently turned away from the use of disposable diapers and have returned to the use of cloth diapers. Aside from the huge environmental impact disposable diapers make in our landfills, there are many other reasons for the use of cloth diapers. These include lower overall cost, cooler to wear in hot weather, and better care of sensitive skin on the child. However, the primary difficulty associated with the use of cloth diapers is the necessity to pre-clean them to remove solid waste before washing the diaper in a tub by hand or in a washing machine. Many parents and care providers use a diaper sprayer, which attaches to the incoming water line on a toilet and allows the user to rinse solids off of the diaper and right into the toilet bowl for flushing. Unfortunately, this process can be overbearing and cumbersome, seemingly requiring the use of three hands to clean the diaper given the need to hold the diaper in a spread and taut position and utilize the sprayer. This problem is even more pronounced with diapers that have sewn-in elastic which needs to be stretched out for proper cleaning. Additionally, the spray from the diaper sprayer often misses or over sprays the diaper causing a mess which must be cleaned up after each use.
Various attempts have been made to solve the problems associated with cleaning reusable cloth diapers. One (1) example of these solutions provides a planar cleaning surface which mount to a toilet and a hand held scraper, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,239,176, issued in the name of Gilbert. Other solutions include devices which provide slots or rollers intended to ring out the soiled diaper. Examples of these devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,473,852, issued in the name of Berry; U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,270, issued in the name of Olson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,758, issued in the name of Miller et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,408, issued in the name of Toupin et al.
Another solution includes a net holder which is suspended within a toilet to hold a soiled diaper for washing, as can be seen by example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,971, issued in the name of Dirks. Still another solution includes an open face shell which is supported by the rim of a toilet having a hanger from which a soiled diaper is suspended for washing, as can be seen by example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,640.
While these devices may accomplish their specific intended purpose, each suffers from one (1) or more disadvantage or deficiency with respect to design, function, or effectiveness. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which cloth diapers can be pre-cleaned in a toilet without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.